Retail cosmetic display pods and method of merchandising

ABSTRACT

A retail cosmetic product display and a method for merchandising cosmetics are disclosed. The display comprises display pods that each display an individual product and include information about it for the potential customer to review as well as a UPC code for the item. A plurality of the display pods can be aggregated into a unitary display.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to the field of retail cosmetic displays. The displays are utilized by retailers selling cosmetics to display a manufacturer's goods it is offering for sale. The displays are used to provide basic information on the product to the consumer as well as to make the products readily available for purchase. The displays are typically utilized for a variety of items such as lipstick, lip gloss, eyeliner, mascara, etc.

Cosmetics are generally sold by mass merchandise stores where sales people may or may not be available to assist customers interested in purchasing the items. Retail displays that can provide basic information about the products are thus useful for increasing sales of the products that are generally sold on a self-service basis. Such cosmetics displays are of great interest to both manufacturers and retailers as a way to increase sales.

The available retail displays are typically relatively large displays directed to a specific product. The present invention is directed to a modular type of display where smaller displays can be aggregated into a larger wall-type or free-standing display. The present invention allows far greater flexibility in the presentation of related items produced by a single manufacturer or by different manufacturers than available displays since four (4) individual pods of the present invention can fit within the size of one presently available retail display. The interchangeability of the pods allows the retailer to move the various products to different locations on the display so as to make the appropriate presentation to the customer or to replace a product with a different product. Thus, the retail display of the present invention provides a great deal more flexibility to the retailer then available displays.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A merchandise display for cosmetic products comprising a rack for holding a plurality of interchangeable display pods and a plurality of interchangeable display pods for insertion into the rack wherein each of the plurality of interchangeable displays pods comprises a first front surface adapted for displaying information about a cosmetic product offered for sale in the display pod and an area for insertion and storage of the cosmetic product offered for sale in the display pod and a first rear surface comprising a means for attaching the display pod to the rack.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front plan view of an embodiment of the present invention in use.

FIG. 3 is a front plan view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a rear plan view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a retail display incorporating a plurality of embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described in terms of the presently preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the drawings. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many obvious modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

The retail display 10 of the present invention is illustrated in the drawings. FIG. 6 illustrates a retail display comprising a plurality of individual display pods 12. The plurality of display pods 12 are each adapted to display a single product 13 and are described in further detail below. The display pods 12 can be inserted in any of the plurality of locations on the retail display unit 10.

The display pods 12 are illustrated in detail in FIGS. 1 to 5. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the display pods 12 are approximately 6″ wide and 6″ high on the front face 14. The display pods 12 comprise a front unit 16 and a rear connecting unit 18.

The front unit 16 comprises a series of transparent holding devices 20, a header 24 and an outer frame 26. The transparent holding devices 20 are adapted to receive a plurality of the cosmetic items being offered for sale in the particular display pod. The holding devices 20 comprise a plurality of openings 22 through which the cosmetic items are inserted for display and sale. The plurality of openings 22 are adapted in shape and size to accommodate the particular items offered for sale such as lipstick, lip gloss, mascara, eyeliner, etc.

The front unit 16 also comprises a hinged header 24 for the cosmetic items. The header 24 contains information on its front surface 25 about the cosmetic item displayed on that particular display pod 12 so that the customer can readily understand the product and its advantages. The header 24 is hinged as shown in FIG. 2 so that it can be opened outward. When it is opened, the rear surface 26 is revealed upon which is imprinted a UPC bar code 28 for the cosmetic item displayed in that particular display pod 12. This particular feature of the invention allows the retailer to easily monitor inventory and price for the item displayed in the particular display pod 12 as well as track sales of the item. The hinge can be provided with a spring so that the header 24 will automatically close upon being released.

The rear connecting unit 18 is illustrated in FIG. 4. The rear connecting unit 18 comprises a frame 28, a hanging hook 30 and a plurality of locking projections 32. The hanging hook 30 allows the display pod 12 to be suspended from a wall display or rack while the locking projection 32 secures the display pod 12 to the rack 34. The locking projections 32 and the hanging hook 30 are adapted to fit in any of the positions on the rack 34.

In practice, each of the plurality of display pods 12 would be provided with a header 24 setting forth information on different products on its front surface 25 with a UPC Bar Code 28 on its rear surface 26. The particular product described on that header would be placed in the openings 22 of the holding device 20. The plurality of display pods 12 would all be prepared in this way and placed into the rack 34 in a chosen order. After a period of time, the display order of the products in the rack 34 could be rearranged by the retailer to maximize the sales of the products.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the foregoing merely represents an embodiment of the present invention and that many obvious modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims. 

1. A merchandise display for cosmetic products comprising: a. A rack for holding a plurality of interchangeable display pods; and b. A plurality of interchangeable display pods for insertion into the rack wherein each of the plurality of interchangeable display pods comprises a first front surface adapted for displaying information about a cosmetic product offered for sale in the display pod and an area for insertion and storage of the cosmetic product offered for sale in the display pod and a first rear surface comprising a means for attaching the display pod to the rack.
 2. The merchandise display of claim 1 wherein the interchangeable display pods further comprise a header comprising a second front surface and a second rear surface wherein the second front surface is adapted for displaying information about the cosmetic product.
 3. The merchandise display of claim 2 wherein the header is hinged to the first front surface and can be lifted up from the first front surface to reveal the second rear surface wherein the second rear surface comprises a UPC bar code for the cosmetic product.
 4. The merchandise display of claim 1 wherein the display pods comprise a plurality of openings in the first front surface that are adapted to receive the cosmetic items for display.
 5. The modular display of claim 1 wherein the means for attaching the display pods to the rack comprise a hanging hook and locking projections extending from the second rear surface and adapted to be received in mating openings on the rack.
 6. A method for merchandising cosmetic products comprising of the steps of: a. Providing a rack for displaying a plurality of cosmetic products adapted to receive a plurality of interchangeable cosmetic product display pods; b. Providing a plurality of cosmetic display pods comprising a front surface and rear surface wherein the units are adapted to be removably received in the rack; c. Placing different cosmetic items in each of the plurality of cosmetic display pods; d. Providing product information for the cosmetic items in each of the plurality of display pods; and e. Inserting the plurality of cosmetic display pods into the rack in any order.
 7. The method of claim 6 wherein the plurality of cosmetic display pods provide product information by means of a header for display of product information thereon with the header mounted to a front surface of the display pods, product holders in the front surface of the display pods and a means for attaching the display pods to the rack.
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the header is hinged to the front surface of the display pods and comprises a rear surface with a UPC bar code imprinted thereon.
 9. The method of claim 6 comprising the further step of rearranging the display pods on the rack after a period of time to maximize sales of the products. 